It’s been an impressive rookie year for basketball phenom Caitlin Clark. She stepped onto the Brooklyn Academy of Music stage in April as the outstanding number-one pick in the WNBA draft. She set viewing records for the league with her debut game and became the highest-paid female basketball player in the world – all of this before her 23rd birthday. Clark has another achievement that cements her as the WNBA’s GOAT – she was named Athlete of the Year by Time Magazine.
“Clark, 22, takes shots with difficulty never before witnessed in the women’s game,” Time said in their feature on the all-star athlete. “Her signature 30-ft. Launches from near half-court on team logos across America resemble home-run balls hanging high. Can she make that flabbergasting attempt? Yes! It turns out. Over and over again.”
Bestowed one of the highest honors in sports, Clark joins the ranks of Lionel Messi, Armand Duplantis, Simone Biles, LeBron James, and the entire USWNT – all previous winners of the award considered to be the greatest in their respective sports. Clark is the first basketball player to win the award since James and the first-ever woman in the sport to receive the honor.
In her exclusive interview with Time, Clark discussed her impressive shooting record, her rivalry with Angel Reese, and what it’s like to change the face of women’s sports.
“You feel powerful,” she said. “Instantly, everybody goes crazy. People are invested in the game; they love it, which makes it so fun for me. These people aren’t supporting women’s sports to check a box. It’s going to be the new normal.”
Clark’s professional success in her first year has boosted the WNBA’s ratings. She has attracted celebrity attention, earned support from established athletes like James, and inspired many younger girls to continue chasing their athletic dreams.
